Being the highest-drafted player in the Matthews family has secured the Falcons’ recent No. 1 pick some bragging rights, even on his Hall of Fame father, but it also put Jake and his dad, Bruce, in some rare company.
Matthews became the 10th son of a Pro Football Hall of Fame player or coach to be drafted into the league. He’s the fourth son of a Hall of Famer to be selected in the first round. Chris and Kyle Long and Kellen Winslow were the others.
| HALL OF FAME FATHER (Year Inducted) | DRAFTED SON(S) (Team, Year) |
| LB Bobby Bell (1983) | LB Bobby Bell, Jr. (N.Y. Jets, 1984) |
| RB Tony Dorsett (1994) | CB Anthony Dorsett (Houston, 1996) |
| QB Bob Griese (1990) | QB Brian Griese (Denver, 1998) |
| G Russ Grimm (2010) | S Cody Grimm (Tampa Bay, 2010) |
| DT Howie Long (2000) | DE Chris Long (St. Louis, 2008)G Kyle Long (Chicago, 2013) |
| G Bruce Matthews (2007) | T Jake Matthews (Atlanta, 2014) |
| RB-DB/Coach Don Shula (1997) | QB Mike Shula (Tampa Bay, 1987) |
| T Jackie Slater (2001) | WR Matthew Slater (New England 2008) |
| TE Kellen Winslow (1995) | TE Kellen Winslow (Cleveland, 2004) |